Khaotic Katastrophe
by Regin Ash
Summary: The ducks return to Puckworld, a planet still in shambles from the botched Saurian takeover. For Duke, returning home becomes a personal nightmare when his past crimes catch up with him.
1. Chapter 1

_The light was too intense to see where they were going. Duke got a sinking feeling as the wheel shook hard in his hands. _

_ "More power to the thrusters Dive," Wildwing ordered._

_ Next to Duke, the nineteen-year-old released the throttle into the maximum. In response the Aerowing shot forward with more speed as the gateway began to close in on them. _

_ "It's closing too fast Wing!" Tanya yelled. "We're not going to make it!"_

_ Duke glanced behind him, his gaze landing on his other half. Mallory's knuckles were white as she hung onto the chair she was strapped into. She was trying not to show fear, her entire life had bred her not to show fear, but this was different. _

_ Duke returned his attention to what was ahead of them. Then it hit him. The Aerowing was using too much power. He reached above him with one hand, flipping switches. _

_ "What are you doing?" _

_ "The Aerowing is sucking too much power," Duke replied. "I'm shutting down everything we don't need."_

_ The aircraft was thrown into darkness as the lighting died. With the new arrangements of the vehicle, it had enough power to surge forward even faster. With a blinding flash, the Aerowing shot out of the gateway._

…_..._

**Puckworld: 2176- A week and a half later**

Duke had to admit, in the time that the Mighty Ducks had been gone, Puckworld had pulled itself up by the boot straps. They even had enough of a government to arrest him on former charges from his previous criminal life.

The Aerowing had made its way out of the gateway Tanya had created after close to three years of research. What the ducks saw after the dimensional tunnel made them freeze. It was their home, the skyscrapers that had once stood in the north of Ducaine City were still being built. The cranes stretching high into the sky. Miles of what looked like tents and slums fingered below them.

…...

_Before_

_ A voice crackled through the radio. "You are classified as an unidentified aircraft. Land your aircraft at the Coy Air Force Base immediately."_

_ Duke could feel himself losing control over the Aerowing. It was going to land and it wasn't going to be at the Coy Air Force Base. He punched a button on the radio, "that ain't happ'in. We don't have enough control."_

_ The voice responded again. "You are classified as an unidentified aircraft. Land your aircraft at the Coy Air Force Base now!"_

_ "Fucking idiots!" Duke snapped. "Can they not hear me?" _

_ Suddenly the Aerowing lost all power and took a steep dive. Mallory let out a surprised scream. Tanya had been unstrapped as she moved around the side computer, trying to get a lock on communication to the unknown voice. As the craft dropped, she was thrown forward towards the windshield. Just as she closed her eyes, surrendering to her fate, a strong hand grabbed her. She opened her eyes to see Grin holding her. _

_ "Hold on!" Duke yanked the steering column apart and pulled wires out. _

_ "Shit, shit, what are you doing?" Dive asked, terrified. _

_ Duke didn't answer as the wires sparked. With the spark, power returned. "It's temporary."_

_ He looked up in time to see the ground rushing at them. He jerked the steering up just as the Aerowing slammed into a snow bank. _

…_..._

_The Aerowing slid to a stop on the frozen ground. Nosedive let out a shuttered breath and robotically shut the aircraft down when Duke didn't make a move to do it himself. _

_ "I can't believe this," Mallory whispered. "We're alive ."_

_ As they shakily left the craft, a blast of frigid air blew around them, stealing any bit of warmth they were used to and still had. _

_ When the Aerowing had landed, the courtyard in which they had landed in was empty. Upon leaving, ducks appeared, staring at the Aerowing like it was a ticking bomb. Duke coughed, his ribs hurting from being slammed into the control panel after the rough landing. _

_ Mallory grabbed him into a hug, a far tighter hug than he was used to from her. She was happy to be alive. _

_ "Who are you?" A lead duck asked. He was tall with brown feathers. _

_ Wildwing raised his hands in peace. "My name is Wildwing Flashblade, we're from the resistance that was formed when the Saurians took over." _

_ "Resistance?" The duck laughed. "The Saurians left Puckworld ten years ago."_

_ "What?" Wildwing asked, stunned. _

_ "It's been ten years since the Saurians left."_

_ "We've been gone ten years?" Nosedive asked. "That's impossible."_

_ "No it's not," Tanya murmured. _

_ "What's going on here!" A new duck pushed his way through the crowd. His uniform set him instantly apart from the civilians. _

_ Duke recognized him. "Damn."_

_ Mallory looked at him, "what's wrong?"_

_ The male duck opened his mouth to address Wildwing, but paused when his eyes settled on Duke. _

_"Well, well, Duke L'orange. Welcome home."_

…_..._

_ Yeah, welcome home alright,_ Duke thought, as he took in the dismal cell he had spent the last ten days in. Captain Regla Winglude had been chasing him for years. It didn't make any sense to arrest him for crimes he committed thirteen years ago; and his teammates, his _family _made sure the law knew it.

…...

_"Put your hands on your head," Captain Winglude ordered._

_ "Why?" Mallory asked instantaneous. _

_ Knowing it would do no good, Duke obeyed the duck; slowly raising his hands to his head. Captain Winglude strode forward, pulling metal cuffs from his belt. Mallory stepped in front of him, blocking contact from Duke. _

_ "Answer me." _

_ "He's a criminal, criminals are arrested," the duck arrogantly replied. _

_ "He helped save this planet, your ass as it seems since you're still breathing."_

_ "Well, you know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished." _

…_..._

_ Ain't that the truth,_ Duke glanced down at the tin food tray. For some reason, Winglude found it irresistibly entertaining to send him empty food trays. He never knew when he was to be fed and when he wasn't. Hunger pains gnawed painfully at his stomach, but he refused to let any discomfort show.

His cell door was unlocked with the scrape of a key, letting the first shafts of light into his cell in more than four days.

"Get up prisoner, you have a visitor."

…...

**Detention Room 1**

Mallory fidgeted with a sharpie she had found in her satchel. It was the only object that kept a small leeway to the world the Mighty Ducks had called home up to eleven days ago. Sharpies weren't on Puckworld.

_Maybe Tanya can find a way to invent sharpies here,_ she thought absently. The room's door opened, pulling her from her thoughts. A guard roughly pulled Duke in. Ten days as a prisoner had changed him. He looked exhausted and thinner, like he wasn't being fed, his one pupil was ragged and dilated.

She stood up and moved forward to him only to be stopped. "No contact with the prisoner," the guard commanded sternly.

She sank back into her chair as Duke took the one across from her. She tried to think of something to say, but nothing came. Finally she whispered, "I'm sorry, for everything, for this."

His stoic expression broke as the sly smile she had come to love spread across his face, "This ain't your fault kid. It was bound to happen. I guess I just hoped everyone from the law who knew about me was gone by now."

Mallory uncapped and then recapped the permanent marker with one hand. Duke glanced at her hands and then reached across the table to lay his on hers.

The guard shot away from his post near the door. "I said no contact." He grabbed Duke in a headlock and pulled back. "What part of that phase did you not understand?"

"Let him go...you're hurting him," Mallory didn't realize she was standing.

"Alright, alright, I understand," Duke choked out. The guard released him abrasively. Taking a breath, Duke motioned to Mallory to sit. "Kid sit...just sit." To distract her, he asked about the others.

"Worried about you. We're trying to get you out of here before the trial."

"Trial? I have a trial?"

"They didn't tell you?"

Duke sat back in his chair. "Communication is lax around here. They can't tell the next person when someone's farted wrong."

Mallory gave him a strange look.

"It was a joke," he added.

They were quiet for several moments. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear white."

"Tha's because I become a walking contrast. It's the prison uniform to wear the long sleeve and then the baggy ass blue pants."

For the first time during the visit, she smiled. "It suits you."

"Thanks."

"Time's up," the guard left his post again to take Duke's elbow.

Mallory stood, not wanting to leave or have him return to what ever kind of hell he had been living in for the past week.

Duke guessed what she was thinking. "It ain't so bad sweetheart."

She wanted to say she loved him, but the words wouldn't come. She stood with her mouth open, trying to will the words out, still they wouldn't come.

He mouthed, 'I know,' and left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mess Hall**

Duke kept mostly to himself, choosing to remain untouched by the gangs that formed in the prison. He didn't see any use in joining any one of the groups since it would only make him an enemy to someone else. Staying neutral was the way to go.

Unfortunately, this decision made him an instant target, especially once his identity was whispered among the prisoners.

He was sitting alone at an empty table in the large stone cold mess hall, thinking back to Mallory's visit. Even though he knew she was nothing but concerned, the look of forlornness annoyed him. _She's taking pity-_

He let out a long breath through his nose, one he had kept pent up.

"Hey."

He glanced up to see a duck with oddly shaped bald patches all over him. It took a moment for Duke to realize they were like tattoos since real tattoos like what the humans had had didn't work on ducks with feathers.

There was a group of four other ducks, all thick muscled, standing behind the leader.

"You need to take a walk bud, this is our table."

Duke ignored the leader, _this can't be happening to me. _

"Did you hear me?"

_All I want is to be alone._

"Hey, I'm talking to you." The duck shoved his shoulder.

"Yeah, I heard ya," Duke ran his hand over the table. "It's funny-"

"What is?"

Duke looked back at the group. "I don't see any of your names on it. In fact, lo and behold, it's clean."

The main duck's face grew ominous, "are you making fun of me? I'm going to give you one more shot, get lost."

Duke gazed at him, unblinking, and then looked away.

The duck chortled obnoxiously, "oh you're in for it, you fucking moron."

Duke heard the duck's fist swinging through the air and sprang out of the way. Adrenaline zipping through his body, he moved too fast for the group to comprehend his sudden disappearance. He didn't like physical contact, preferring his sword to swinging fists; but he was missing his saber.

Watching the leader gape stupidly at his unoccupied seat, he snorted quietly to himself, then he whistled.

The duck whorled around and quickly became enraged when he spied Duke standing not so far away. The duck grabbed a random inmate's food tray and barreled forward. Duke saw the tray coming but was too slow to stop it as it slapped his head back. Stunned, he sank to his knees before sliding back and jumping over a table to escape the duck smashing the tray around in an effort to get him.

He found himself at the food counter where someone had carelessly left a carver knife within reach. He grabbed it in time for the duck to come at him again. He shoved the knife forward, aiming for the tray. It sliced easily through the plastic and became wedged. He yanked up, knowing there was enough leverage to get the would-be weapon away from the prisoner. He tossed the tray into the kitchen area and got kicked in the stomach for his troubles.

The duck spun and caught him in the chest, sending him back into the counter. By then the mess hall was in an uproar. The inmates had formed a solid wall, blocking off any chance of escape for Duke.

"Shit," he snarled. The only way to end this was to choke the guy into unconsciousness, since it didn't appear the guards were coming.

He shot to his feet and gave the duck a powerful frontal kick, sending him on to his ass; before he could recover, Duke grabbed him in a headlock, constricting the inmate's air supply.

Several shots rang out, the guards had arrived, making the inmates scatter. Duke didn't let go, not knowing whether the duck would continue to try and kill him, even with the guards so close.

"Let go of the inmate," a cold metal pressed to the middle of the back of Duke's head.

Breathing heavily, he obeyed, slowly letting go of the duck. As soon as the duck was free, Duke was pulled back roughly and flattened to the ground hard as he was handcuffed.

They left him in his cell, the shit-hole was even darker then when he had left it. Physically drained and aching from the beating he had sustained, he laid down on the bench-like bed and tried to sleep.

…...

_Ducaine Prison looked even shittier than the last time Duke had been by the location. Entirely made out of concrete, it looked medieval compared to the slow construction nearby of high rise, grandiose buildings. _

_Duke had never graced the prison's doorstep in all his years in the Brotherhood as a prisoner, but had once broken out his former best friend Falcone after the idiot set off the alarm system in a museum. _

_He had a bad feeling about this, once he stepped through the doors, he was stuck in there with no way out. Maybe that was why Winglude jerked a black hood over his head, so Duke had no way of memorizing the halls and then be able to formulate an escape. Yes, no one was willing to take risks with Duke L'orange._

…_..._

**North-East Ducaine City**

Since returning to Puckworld, none of the Mighty Ducks felt an overwhelming urge to separate from each other. Three years on the planet Earth had bonded them in ways that were unexplained. Mallory sat alone in the room she shared with Tanya of a motel Wing had found, shadowed by darkness. The soldier in her told her to stop moping and to get her ass up, but the other part of her was too tired, too saddened. If she had been told five years ago she would fall for a ex-criminal and then be crushed when he was imprisoned; she would have told the person to go shit in a hat.

It didn't make sense why a city in such a wallow of manure would care enough to arrest a criminal two minutes after he landed an aircraft. _Because it's Duke, _she thought to herself. _The law enforcement must have been having a contest to see who exactly could bring him in single-handedly. _

"Mallory?" Tanya poked her head into the room. "Are you hungry?"

"Sure, I'll be out in a minute."

Tanya nodded and closed the door behind her. Quietly, Mallory got up and went to the bathroom. It surprised her how many objects she had from Earth after the ducks got settled in and she went through her stuff. She opened the medicine cabinet and reached to the top shelve for an unmarked box. Opening it, she pulled a pregnancy test out.

…...

**0212am**

Duke was awoken from a rather unsatisfying sleep to see a bright light shining into his eyes. He raised his hand to block the glare, upon doing so, he could see a guard.

"Get up."

He was led to a white-wash hall with doors lining it. Halfway down, he was put in a grey windowless room, the guard chained his hands tightly by his sides to the chair and then left him. The time dragged by as Duke sat staring at nothing but the clock on the wall. After what seemed like forever, it was an hour and then an hour and a half. As the hour hand stretched to the second hour, he began to get annoyed.

"If ya think I'm gonna sit here all night, you've got anotha thing comin'. It'll take me less than a minute to get out of these cuffs and about anotha minute to get out of this room." He was bluffing, there was no way out of the room, he was just relying on his infamous persona.

Within the seconds following his statement, the door behind him opened, granting Captain Winglude entrance.

"Empty threat you waste of space," he said as he sat across from Duke.

"Got ya in here, didn't it?"

Winglude grinned. "You think you're so slick, don'cha?" He leaned across the table so he was beak to beak with Duke, who didn't reply. "Well, reality check, you're not. You're here and you're my bitch...got that L'orange?"

"Do you have a point to this ridiculously late meeting?" Duke finally asked.

"I do." Winglude pulled out a device that looked like a human's palm pilot. "I thought you might wanna know exactly what Ducaine City is going to hang you for."

"Did I forget to pay off a ticket?"

Winglude gave a humorless laugh, "you're funny. You're charged with murder."

Duke's stomach flipped, "what?"

"That's right."

"Who did I supposedly murder?"

Winglude cracked his neck and then his fingers. "Let me spell it out to you. Twelve years ago, you know, one year before the Saurians. You were on one of your little jobs, stealing some damn thing. Remember whose house it was?"

Duke snorted, "it was twelve years ago. Enlighten me."

"Chief Weaver Redeye." At Duke's blank expression he added, "2115 Phulm Lane, North-East Ducaine City."

"I was nev-" Duke began and then paused.

…...

_Before: Twelve Years ago_

_The thrill of the mission was making Duke shake with anticipation. The Brotherhood had set up a heist for which Falcone and himself were paired together. Apart of Duke's thrill was he nor Falcone knew who the victim of the heist would be,even though his foreign looking friend had bragged that he knew. _

"_What do you think old chum?" Falcone's eyes glittered maliciously as he and Duke made their way down an old abandoned alley. _

_Duke shrugged. "I think we should get in there as soon as possible."_

…_..._

_Fast-forward_

_Duke experienced only a slight shock when he realized it was the chief of the law enforcement for Ducaine City's house they were breaking into. I'm Duke L'orange, I can do this. _

_Creeping through the house, he had already told Falcone he'd be the one breaking into the safe, not Falcone, since the idiot just got out of prison for a botched heist. _

_Using a series of tools he had collected over the years, he disabled the alarm system within seconds and began working on the safe itself. Just as he was sure he was close, he heard footsteps on the stairs. He froze, listening. _

"_Hurry up!" Falcone hissed. _

_Duke stayed where he was, knowing if he moved, he would make noise. It's too close, he thought. _

"_Move," he commanded as loud as he could without talking normally. He stowed his tools back into his bag and took off for the back of the house._

"_Who's there?" A scruffy voice demanded. Lights clicked on as Falcone and Duke found themselves in a spacious kitchen. _

"_The backdoor," Duke spun Falcone in the direction of the exit, but the large falcon had a different idea. _

"_Right chum," he ducked behind the island, fiddling with something. _

"_Falcone, what are you doing?" Duke hissed. _

"_I've got a gun and I know how to use it-" the owner of the house was about to enter the room they were in. _

"_Falcone-" Duke snapped, he stepped closer to the wide counter to see what his partner was doing. He found himself staring at an exposed gas pipe from the oven. "What are you doing?"_

"_Laying a distraction, old chum," Falcone slid across the counter to land lithely next to Duke. _

"_Freeze!" The owner found them, a gun in his hand pointed at them. _

"_Time to go?" Falcone suggested in question form. He shoved Duke into the door and pulled a lighter out of his boot. He clicked it. _

_Duke missed the lighter, but saw the owner's finger pull on the trigger of his gun. "No! Stop!"_

_There was a deafening explosion. _

…_..._

**Present**

When he had woken up after being hurled against the door, which splintered from the explosion, and found himself laying on the deck of the house, he was in pain. Duke had never been in so much pain, even the loss of his left eye could never had measured up.

"It was an accident," he heard himself say. His voice sounded so far away. "A freak accident. I'll admit I was there, I tried to steal the item the guy had, but I didn't kill him. I barely even remember that day since I had a major concussion."

"And where is Falcone?" Winglude's question was laced with sarcasm.

Duke briefly thought of dimensional limbo, the endless dimension that the Mighty Duck's nemesis Dragaunus preferred and where Falcone had ultimately ended up in. "I don't know."

…...

**North Ducaine City: Two days later**

Mallory sat on a hard exam bed with nothing but a thin shift covering her. It had taken a few days to find a suitable doctor's office. Much of the business in Ducaine City had still yet to recuperate from the Saurian takeover. She had just been told she was a month pregnant. _I can't believe it. _What was she going to tell the others? Duke?

Slowly in a daze she got dressed.

…...

She didn't pay attention to where she was going as she walked, she was too deep in thought. _I'll just have to hide it. The others can't know._

"Miss McMallard?"

She whorled around, ready to unleash any force necessary to the unfamiliar voice. It was the arresting officer of Duke, Captain Regla Winglude. "What do you want?"

The duck put his hands up as if to surrender. "Nothing more than to talk to a beautiful woman."

She tilted her head, "I'm with someone incase you didn't get that when you arrested him."

Winglude smirked, "I'm only doing what the City of Ducaine asked me to do. Put criminals behind bars."

She scoffed, "you know, my friends tell me that my first impressions of people leave a lot to be desired...but you know what?"

He took a step towards her, a patronizing grin on his face. "No, what?"

"I was right about you the first time around." She brushed by him.

He was quick to follow her through the crowd. "And that is?"

She halted, glaring at him. "An insecure, full of himself, sardonic POS."

He narrowed his eyes, "POS?"

"Piece of shit." She kept walking.

"Really is that the best you can do?" He goaded just as she passed a building with a door that swung open, hitting him hard enough to throw him to the ground.

She paused, not knowing whether to leave him there or help him. She opted to not help him and rather watched him pick himself up off the ground.

"At least let me buy you a drink," he opened the door that had hit him for her.

"No."

"Come on...we'll talk about your boyfriend."

She swallowed and made up her mind. "Okay, on one condition."

"Anything."

"You let me see him without that stupid rule of no contact."

Winglude made a face, "ehh, rules are rules McMallard."

"Fine, see you around," she started to walk off.

"Okay, okay...come back. I'll let you see your boyfriend."

…...

**Later**

From the hold Mallory had on him, it didn't appear she would let go anytime soon. Duke was confused on the sudden different arrangements, such as the physical contact, and wanted to ask, but remained silent for fear of ruining the moment.

"I heard you got into a fight," she intoned near his ear.

"Yeah, I did.

She pulled away, but still held onto him. "You used a knife?"

Duke looked away, "it wasn't like that. I wasn't planning on using it on him, I had to get the tray he was using away. He attacked first."

She let go and sat down at the detention room table and changed the subject. "The next time I come, I'll bring the others."

Duke also sat and nodded. Sure."

Mallory studied him in a peculiar manner. "Have you been eating?"

The question caught him off guard, "Have I been-? Yeah, of course I have." His answer was too quick, she didn't buy it.

She took his hand and felt the small bones that were clearly visible. "When was the last time you ate?"

…...

Winglude was interrupted from his conference call on the communicator to the sound of a fist pounding on his door. "Hold on, I'll call you back." He got up and opened the door. "I knew you couldn't resist me, McMallard."

Mallory was standing there, her annoyed expression as fiery as her red hair. "They are not feeding him."

Winglude snorted, "and you want me to do what? Wave my magic wand?"

"Don't insult me by making light of this issue."

He grew somber. "He's a prisoner McMallard, did you honestly think every one of them get a full stomach each night?"

"Yeah well, his stomach hasn't been properly filled in about a week." She took a step forward, getting in his face. "Tell me _Captain, _is that normal? Or is this just another one of those I'll-teach-you-Duke-L'orange-type moments."

He sighed. "If you see me as the bad guy, why do you keep coming to me?"

His question sent an expression of shock across her face. "I-don't come...to-you..." She trailed off. "Forget it." She stalked off down the hall.

Amused, he shut his door. "You'll come back. You'll come back," he said as he redialed for his conference.


	3. Chapter 3

Duke woke up, feeling queasy. Finally his nausea caught up with him, he doubled over his mat, retching and puking. After he finished, he rolled onto his back, shivering, trying in vain to sleep again. Poor nutrition and the dank cell was getting to him, no duck could survive for long with constantly damp feathers and not enough food.

He fell into a troubled sleep, only to be awaken by a guard some time later. "Get up." He was jabbed in the ribs with a baton. He opened his eyes, but didn't move.

"Get up," the guard repeated, jabbing at him again.

Duke pulled in a ragged breath, trying to find the strength to sit up and stand. He did as he was asked, slowly getting to his feet. Just as he straightened he felt his world spin and everything go black.

…...

**Ducaine Prison Infirmary**

The first thing he realized when he came to his senses was how different his sheet felt, instead of the rough ragged exterior, there was softness and cleaniness. Everything was surreal to him, the voices were echoey, the light was dark and then too bright.

"L'orange..."

He forced his eyes opened wider, trying to find the source of the voice calling his name.

"L'orange, are you awake?"

He glanced to his right and saw Winglude standing next to him. Almost drunkenly, Duke raised his hand to his face, rubbing his eyes, he paused.

"Where's my patch?"

"The nurses took it off," the male duck replied. "I have to say, I expected worse with you covering it up all the time."

Duke ignored him. It wasn't that his damaged eye was horrible, most just got uncomfortable with the pure white iris and transparent crystalline film he now had and the fact that he was missing his bottom eyelid. "What happened?"

"You have Sop Sickness...I was clued in-" Winglude halted in his sentence, "by a person who will remain nameless that you were not eating and so I came to see. You were already down when I got to your cell."

"And you cared why?"

Winglude snorted, "it's a lot of paperwork to fill out if an inmate dies."

"So this is nothing more than to save your ass."

"Sure." The cop stood. "So, I expect you to stay here and do exactly what the nurses tell you. Your little sniffle came at a bad time since your hearing was moved up to today, it's been postpone."

Duke studied the tubes protruding from the crook of his elbow and hand. "What are ya, my motha?"

Winglude smirked, "something like that." He left.

…...

**North-East Ducaine City**

"I miss Mortal Kombat," Nosedive stared out the window of the motel drearily, his hand supporting his head.

"And that is?" Tanya asked absently, as she fiddled with her omnitool.

"You've lived with me for about three years Tawny and you have no idea what Mortal Kombat is? Dive faced her incredulously.

Mallory ignored the two, she hadn't stopped feeling sick for the last two days. Twice Tanya and once Wildwing had almost caught her as she puked in the bathroom. She wanted Duke so badly to be sitting next to her, to have him be giving Dive the same look Tanya was giving him.

"Mallory?"

She snapped to attention. Dive was gone from the window and Tanya was sitting in front of her. Funny, she hadn't even seen her move.

"Are you okay?" The blonde haired female was staring at her in concern.

"I'm fine," she parroted for the fifth time. Then she felt the pre-cursers to her sickness, she vaulted off the bed and to the bathroom, only to find the door locked.

"Dive's taking a shower," Tanya explained, still studying her friend in worry.

Mallory didn't have time to answer, she doubled over the trash can.

…...

"Mallory, you should eat," Tanya suggested.

Mallory surveyed the food in front of her and barely shook her head 'no.' The guys all watched her as her plate remained clean.

"It might make you feel better if you have something in your stomach," Tanya continued.

"I'm not hungry."

Silence.

"We'll get Duke back Mallory," Wing finally said softly, "if that's what you're worried about."

She stared at him, unblinking before looking away. Grin was sitting next to her, he felt something was not right and was troubled by his young friend's distance.

…...

**Precinct # 1246: Ducaine Prison**

Winglude took a sip from his cup as the time crept towards midnight, he had opted to stay late to go over his case files. He laid the last folder on top of a large mound, thinking he was finally done, only to see one last one. The tab read **L'orange, Duke**.

He opened it, his gaze sweeping over the mugshot and details of the thief's past crimes. Flipping through, he came to the report of Chief Weaver Redeye's death. Duke had said that his accomplice Falcone had exposed the gas pipe in the kitchen before Redeye's death. Reading the report now, Winglude saw a brief scribble about the pipe being indeed exposed.

He closed the folder, he had somewhere he had to be.

…...

**Ducaine Prison Infirmary**

Duke woke to shuffling footsteps. Opening his eyes, he saw four dark silhouettes creeping to the far window in the room, which happen to be a bed away from him.

"Shut up," one of them hissed. "They're gonna hear you."

There was a high pitched screech as Duke watched them pull the bolted window back from the windowsill. Groaning, he sat up shakily.

The escaping convicts froze and then saw him. "Keep it movin," one of the ducks ordered. "You wanna come?" He took a few steps towards Duke.

"Don't bother with him, he's too weak. He'll slow us down," another said.

"Did I ask you? Don't you know who this is? It's the leader of the Brotherhood."

"They'll kill you," Duke rasped. "They have guards at every point on the roof. They'll catch you."

That was enough to make them all halt. "Ridiculous..." one finally scoffed," it's fifteen minutes to midnight. They'll be changin' their posts."

Sitting up was really beginning to make him tired, Duke lost strength in his right hand to prop himself up and sagged against the pillow. "Just wait for anotha time, I'm telling you. There'll be more chances."

"Let's go Fender," the others had squeezed out of the hole. "Now!"

The duck glanced back at him, "this is my chance...I have to believe we'll make it." With that he climbed out of the hole.

Shaking from exhaustion and weakness, Duke forced himself to his feet, taking care to bring the tube pump with him. He used the other bed for support as he walked, finally he made it to the window, where he could barely make out the four inmates below. _Maybe they will make it, _he thought as he watched their progress.

Then there was a loud crack, followed by several wails of surprise. Duke saw one of the ducks fall. Then within seconds the rest of them fell to the ground as each crack split the night air, they laid still. Without realizing it, he had stopped breathing as he witnessed their deaths, painfully he sucked in air, before pushing the window back into its frame.

…...

**Later**

Duke was shaken awake roughly. Coming to quickly, he saw a powerfully built duck with a look of rage on his face as well as an infirmary full of officials. This had to be the warden of the prison.

"Did you see four inmates come through here last night!" He screamed in Duke's face.

"What?" He was still disoriented.

The duck shook him, "don't play stupid with me prisoner. Answer my god-damn question."

In a blur, everything came back to Duke about the night before. "N-no."

The enraged duck grabbed him by the neck and swept his hand across Duke's face hard. His vision faded before coming back as he gasped at the pain.

"You fucking little ingrate! We have you on camera talking to them. What did you say!"

Duke couldn't think straight, what had he said to them? His silence added more incense to the already tense situation.

The duck shook him again, harder than before. "Answer me." He hit Duke again.

"I-I don't know what happened..." Duke hoped that would be enough of an answer for the duck to stop hitting him. It wasn't.

The duck brought his hand back again to take a swing. Duke closed his eyes, waiting for the impact but it didn't come. He opened his eyes to see Winglude standing next to his assailant, a vice-like grip on the duck's arm, keeping him from hitting Duke.

"Don't." Winglude commanded in a deadly voice. "Leave him alone Doughal."

"Go to hell Regla."

Winglude brought the duck's arm swiftly behind his back, sending him off kilt, away from Duke. "Shall I take this matter to Warden Englewing?"

If looks could kill, Winglude would have been dead in seconds. With a jerk, the duck pulled out of Winglude's grasp and stalked off, snapping his fingers at all assembled to follow him. Winglude watched him go and then sat on the edge of Duke's bed.

"Are you okay?"

Duke didn't answer for a moment. "I thought he was the warden."

Winglude laughed unexpectedly, "Doughal would like that, wouldn't he? No, he's in charge of security. Which leads me to my next question. Why didn't you take your chance with them?"

"They didn't want me to follow them. They said I was too weak."

Winglude shook his head, "why didn't _you_ follow?"

"I'm not the same person I was. There's connections now."

"Miss McMallard?" Winglude guessed.

Duke became very still. "Yes," he answered carefully.

Winglude looked away, "she is something else...she's been your probono lobbyist since you got here."

"My what?"

"She's on her way now after ripping me up one side and down the other about not telling her sooner that you were sick in the infirmary," Winglude continued like Duke had never asked anything. "I told her to chill."

Duke breathed a laugh. "I'm sure that went over we-" The infirmary door opened, Mallory entered the room with the rest of the team behind her.

She stopped dead at the sight of Winglude next to Duke.

"See? He's still alive," Winglude stated.

"If I wasn't in a code orange building meaning channeled military surveillance, I'd kick your ass," she snarled.

Winglude smirked, "I'm sure you would, McMallard."

She started forward only to have Wildwing grab her by the shoulder, holding her back. "Do you have a purpose, _Captain Regla Winglude_?" She finally spat.

"Actually I do." The male duck stood and drew closer to the seething female. "I went over your case file and remembered what you told me about Falcone exposing that gas pipe."

Duke began to get nervous. He hadn't told his teammates why he was in prison. He had continued to play dumb about the whole situation, not knowing how to tell them, tell Mallory he was charged with murder.

"Falcone?" Mallory had calmed down, "Gas pipe, what are you talking about?"

Winglude glanced at her and then turned to face Duke. "You didn't tell her?"

Mallory turned her attention to Duke too. "Tell me what?"

"They're hanging me for murder..." Duke explained quietly.

"Murder?" Tanya beat Mallory to repeating his words. "Murdered who?"

"Chief Weaver Redeye, Precinct # 1246 retired Commander," Winglude answered. Mallory was staring at Duke, an expression of sheer horror on her face.

"I didn't do it, I already told you that," Duke snapped, "for the fucking third time."

"-And you're right..." Winglude ran his thumb over the bed post absently. "You have told me three times and on this third time I'm actually listening."

Mallory's eyes shifted away from Duke to Winglude, "what are you talking about?"

Winglude held up an object for all of them to see. Duke couldn't see it at first, but quickly his vision sharpened and he recognized the brass finish, though dirty, it's Raptrin symbol was still legible.

"It's a lighter, a Raptrin symbol is on it." He tossed it at Mallory who caught it, stunned. "I don't believe Duke or any other occupant of that house was or is Raptrin. So L'orange..." Winglude leaned in towards Duke's face. "Where is Falcone?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Wait, where did you get this?" Mallory interjected.

"I found it," Winglude said impatiently. "In the house Duke broke into with Falcone twelve years ago."

"You stole from Chief Redeye?" Mallory asked Duke, she sounded more awed than actually mad.

"Tried to," Duke muttered.

"Pay attention L'orange," Winglude snapped. "I can give your girlfriend the boot any time I deem fit and the rest of your posse if you don't cooperate."

"I don't know where he is."

"Bull shit." Winglude was almost nose to nose with him. "The tables have turned inmate. You may not have murdered Weaver Redeye, but you're now obstructing an investigation of a murderer, a murderer you were an accomplice to."

"Murderer?" Duke laughed, "Falcone was a fucking coward...he didn't kill anyone. Weaver Redeye pulled the trigger of his gun, the bullet from it ignited the gas, you frickin moron. Did you fail chemistry?"

Winglude pushed up from the bed, striding to Mallory and yanking the lighter out of her hands. "You said he pulled a lighter out."

"-and Redeye pulled the trigger-"

Winglude sneered, "you really are a piece of work."

"What are you saying?" Wildwing interrupted.

"He's saying shit," Duke scoffed. "Because he's got nothin' to go on."

"Duke," Wildwing snapped. "Give him a minute."

Winglude took a second to compose himself. "The tech team came to the conclusion that the ignition of the blast did not come from the front of the kitchen where Duke had said Chief Redeye was standing. It came from near the backdoor, where you and Falcone were."

Duke wanted to argue, but he had no argument. _How could you argue with that? _He couldn't remember really anything from that night. And as much as he tried, he had no recollection of what Falcone did with the lighter after he lit it. It made sense what Winglude was saying.

"You can either save yourself L'orange or sink yourself...it's your choice," Winglude's voice was quiet.

"Well," Duke glanced up to meet the cop's eyes. "I guess I'm screwed because I can't remember a damn thing."

"So you conveniently forgot where Falcone is too?"

"Duke tell him, it's not like anything can be done anyway about Falcone," Mallory sounded exhausted

"Did you kill him? Maim him? What?" Mallory's words excited Winglude.

Duke rolled his eyes, "no I didn't kill him..." He paused. "He's in dimensional Limbo."

"Dimensional Limbo? How did that happen?"

"Dragaunus." Wildwing answered. At Winglude's questioning look, he explained deeper. "The Saurian overlord who tried to take over Puckworld. Falcone was working for him and then he tried to double cross him."

"You're kidding me," the cop was disappointed. "You're for real?"

Wing nodded.

"He did it to himself," Duke murmured.

"I'll say," Winglude grumbled. "Well then this is going to be tougher to get out of. If it's one thing that the people of Ducaine City don't like more than Saurians, it's a cop killer."

…...

Mallory listened to Duke breathe as he slept. She had never doubted him or felt disgust when she had found out his charge. She was just shocked that he would be faced with something like that and then let her be broadsided by that kind of news. The only thing that helped her through the shock, was that she hadn't been the only one slapped in the face.

_It's what I'm doing to him,_ she thought as her hand slid to her stomach. But she couldn't bring herself to say the words, much like she couldn't tell him she loved him during her first visit to the prison. Carefully so not to disturb him, she pulled a ripped-out phonebook page out of her pocket. Highlighted halfway down the page, were the names Ret. Wing Commander Pu'C and Ravyna McMallard, her parents. She hadn't seen them in years and she felt the sudden urge to do so then.

With a sigh she stowed the page back into her pocket and shifted closer to Duke, who in turn, shifted too before settling down again.

…...

As much as Mallory wanted to, she found she couldn't hate Regla. He fudged Duke's considerably stronger condition, saying to the warden he still required infirmary care. The nurse didn't really care, one way or the other, she enjoyed Duke's presence a lot more than she did the other inmates who were violent and volatile.

Mallory paused outside of Winglude's office, having left Duke to endure physical therapy for rebuilding his strength after the sickness sapped him of his stamina. Who knew the prison facility would do everything in their power to kept you from dying until they wanted you dead.

She took a breath and brought her fist up to knock, only to have the door open on her. Winglude appeared with a small plastic shot glass of caffeine.

"Miss McMa-"

"Stop calling me that," she ordered exasperated.

"Sure," he squeezed past her to get out of his office, "what do you need this time?"

"I've been thinking, there's no reason to keep Duke here. He has a trial coming up and he's been behaving well-"

"Aside from attacking an inmate with a carver knife-" Winglude interrupted, pouring a drink for himself.

Mallory crossed her arms, "the story I got, he didn't have a choice."

Winglude turned to face her, sipping from a cup. "M'hmm." He brushed by her to return to his office.

"Anyway, do you think he can come ho-I mean, stay with us?"

"No," Winglude answered shortly. He looked up at her, "Don't give me that look. He's an inmate. They don't go anywhere until they're declared innocent."

"This prison has let inmates out on good behavior before they even had their trial. What's the difference?"

"He's a convicted murderer."

"You said yourself you believe Falcone did it."

Winglude let his hands thump his desk, "what I think doesn't amount to shit in this place. I bring the criminal in and I get paid, that's it. Now, if you have something more pressing to tell me, then spit it out, otherwise get out of my office."

Mallory stayed where she was. "Fine, then can you escort him to this address tomorrow. All I'm asking for is an hour." She let a small piece of paper land near his hand.

He glanced at it, reading the words, then looked up at her.

"I'd appreciate the father of my unborn child to know what his child looks like if he's going to be spending time in prison for a while." She left.

…...

**Next day**

Duke heard the door to the infirmary open, but he kept his eyes shut. The tube pump had kept him up all night with its incessant beeping. The nurse- Engla- hadn't been able to find the problem. "L'orange."

Winglude was staring at him. As soon as the duck saw him awake, he slung a bundle at him. Duke gazed at it and saw it was clothes. "What's this?"

"Clothes, what's it look like? There's a bathroom, go get changed."

Engla came out of seemingly nowhere, unhooking him from the tube monitor. "I'll leave the tube in your hand for when you return."

"Where am I going?"

"Out, hurry up before I change my mind," Winglude followed Engla out of the room.

Duke clumsily changed out of his prison uniform into the regular street clothes. He was glad they weren't formal, so he was 95 percent sure he wasn't going to his trial. He walked out of the bathroom and hesitantly ventured out of of his room. Winglude grabbed him immediately by the arm, slapping cuffs on him.

"Really?" Engla asked, having observed Winglude's paranoid act. She raised her eyebrows and returned to her case files.

Winglude stared at her turned back, then he glanced at Duke. "You so much as sneeze wrong and I'll shoot you." He removed the cuffs. "I'm trusting you, don't screw it up."

Duke felt the barrel of Winglude's gun press into his side, covered by the duck's coat and Duke's long sleeve button down.

"Go."

Winglude led him out of the prison, leaving Duke to be quite confused about the whole thing. Was it a test? Were the guards waiting on the roof for a wrong move? As he was suddenly faced with the last door before his freedom, he became nervous. There had been a story a few years back, where an inmate was led out of the prison for his trial. A guard mistook the cop leading the inmate and the inmate as escaping convicts. He shot to kill, killing them both.

He froze at the door, even after it opened, refusing to go any further. "I don't want to." As crazy as it sounded, he was safer in the prison than out of it.

"L'orange move or I'll shoot you for stupidity."

"No."

Winglude was surprised by Duke's refusal. "What is up with you?" The duck shoved him out of the caged exit.

Duke flinched as he stumbled, waiting for shots. Nothing came. He looked around himself and then up high above him to the towers where he knew the guards were watching.

Winglude guessed his problem. "They won't shoot you. Come on." He led him to a car, putting him in the backseat. As Winglude rounded the back of the car, Duke tried to door just to see. It was locked from the inside.

Neither of them attempted conversation as Winglude drove. Finally the duck parked the car outside of a rich looking house.

"I didn't steal from this house if tha's what you're gonna ask me," Duke said as Winglude turned to face him with his mouth open.

"I would hope not since you would've seen women giving birth while you did so."

Duke gave him a strange look. "What?"

"This is a hospital for pregnant women only."

Duke glanced at it through his window without moving his head. "and we're here because?"

Winglude didn't answer him, instead he got out of the car, opening the door. Slowly Duke got out too. Winglude didn't touch him or do anything as he watched Duke.

"What?"

Winglude shrugged. "I waiting for you to do something," he admitted.

Duke just stood there.

Winglude sighed, "you're too easy." He grasped Duke by the sleeve, towing him towards the house.

No one paid particular attention to them as they entered the house and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Winglude paused outside of a room labelled 308B and turned to Duke. "Go on."

Duke went around the cop and entered the room. Mallory was laying on a bed with a strange machine next to her. He couldn't think straight.

She heard him and rolled over to face him. "Duke," she got up and ran to him, hugging him. Automatically he folded his arms around her.

"What are you doing here?" It didn't make sense to him.

She pulled away from him, still holding on to him. "Duke, I'm-"

"Okay, Mallory," an aged duck came in with a medical folder. He paused at seeing Winglude creeping near the door. "You must be the father. Congratulations Sir"

Winglude squeaked, an act quite unlike himself. "I-no-hell no."

"Oh..." The duck looked at Mallory and saw the closeness between her and Duke. "I see. You're the father." He seemed less enthused.

"F-father? Of what?" Duke glanced back at Mallory.

Winglude snorted from the doorway, "for drake's sakes, is he always this dense?"

Mallory shot him a glare, before turning Duke's face back to hers. "I'm pregnant Duke...with your child."

…...

Duke sat in a chair as Mallory watching him apprehensively. "Are you mad?"

He glanced at her with no emotion on his face. "I'm not mad kid...it's just with this murder charge-" He noticed Winglude inching near the door. Mallory turned and saw him too, she strode to the door and slammed it in his face.

"You were saying?"

"It's like what Winglude said, no one likes a cop killer and if Falcone's not around to take the fall then I'll be the next best thing."

Mallory knelt next to him, one hand on his knee, the other one taking his hand. "Don't think about that."

"I have to, it's my life they're going to crucify."

"Duke-"

"I'm not going to be around for this kid Mallory, get that through your head," he snapped.

Mallory struggled to not show her hurt. "You don't know that."

He didn't answer and refused to look at her. Mallory lowered her gaze disappointed, her hand starting to slide out of his. He stopped her, tightening his fingers around hers.

"I'm sorry," his voice was soft, "I didn't mean that."

"It's okay."

"No. It's not," he argued. He reached out and touched her cheek. "You set this up didn't you? Breaking me out of jail for a while."

She leaned in towards his touch, "yeah."

Duke glanced at the window, almost calculatingly. Mallory guessed what he was thinking.

"As much as I want you free...don't do it. It'll give them a license to kill you if you become a fugitive."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. "I know."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note:**

**The three sentence paragraph directly below this author note is from the last chapter. I forgot to add it. Just so you're not confused. Mallory and Duke are still at the hospital.**

"Duke." She called for his attention softly. "Tell me what you feel for real since you haven't shown anything since this started. I want to know...it's important to me."

"For real?" He repeated. "I'm drowning...and I can't reach the surface."

…...

**Ducaine Prison Infirmary**

Duke sat in the semi dark of the hospital wing with the grainy picture of his child in his hand; the light from the hall where the night-time nurse sat, was the only illuminating glow in the place. Unlike human women, the female ducks on Puckworld didn't spend nine months pregnant, they were only five months pregnant.

Mallory was already two months. Advanced technology could tell what sex the child was, but Mallory had said immediately she didn't want to know. Duke wanted to know, but he understood her sentiment.

Setting the picture down, he stood and walked over to the window the prisoners had escaped from. Unhooking himself from the nutrient pump, he pried the window open and hoisted himself through the hole.

…...

**Surveillance Room 1235**

Ty Drakeson was a rookie and all newbies were assigned grunt work, work the older more seasoned officers didn't want. He glanced up from his doodle to see Duke L'orange hoisting himself through the window several inmates had escaped through a few days before. He wasn't being sneaky about it, that was for sure.

Ty Drakeson stood up on impulse, his hand flying to his communicator. "We have a situation in the infirmary, **repeat, **a situation in the infirmary...Inmate 3879 is escaping, **repeat, **escaping."

…...

Regla Winglude was about to call it a day when his work communicator began to squawk at him from his desk.

"_We have a situation in the infirmary, __**repeat, **__a situation in the infirmary...Inmate 3879 is escaping, __**repeat, **__escaping."_

Inmate 3879? Winglude paused, that was number was vaguely familiar. Then he froze, "son of a bitch..." he breathed, he turned and sprinted down the hall.

…...

**Infirmary**

Duke leaned his head back against the concrete of the prison as he stared up at the stars. The night was cool and slightly breezy, it felt good after being cooped up in the stifling hot prison for two weeks. As he glanced below him to the ground that was more than five-hundred feet away, Mallory's words came back to him.

"_As much as I want you free...don't do it. It'll give them a license to kill you if you become a fugitive."_

He closed his eyes as he heard an alarm begin to wail.

"Freeze!"

He looked to his right to see a guard with a flashlight shining at his face and a gun cocked at him.

"Put your hands on your head!"

Duke did as he was told. His intention hadn't been to escape, he just wanted to be free for a while even if it meant sitting on the ledge of his prison.

The duck was pulling himself out onto the skinny strip Duke was sitting on. "Whoa..." the duck swallowed as he looked down uneasy. "C-come to me...right now," he pointed his weapon at Duke again.

"Relax, I'm coming..." Lithely, Duke stood, his hands out in a non-threatening manner. "I wasn't goin' anywhere."

"Oh..." the guard was young, Duke noticed as he got closer. "Well, you still might get in-" he shifted ever so slightly and lost his balance, pitching off the ledge. He let out a frightened yell.

Duke grabbed him by his jacket and latched onto the window pane. The guard's weight pulled him off kilt, knocking his legs out from under him. He lost his grip on the window and fell off the ledge with him. He grabbed for anything and found the edge of the ledge just before they fell too far. Below him the guard was freaking out.

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Oh shit!"

"Shut up for a second," Duke snapped, it was becoming increasingly harder to hold onto the ledge with one hand and hold onto the guard with the other.

Steading himself, he began to pull the guard up above him to get him back on the ledge. "Grab on to something."

The kid reached out and grasped the window pane, pulling himself back up to safety. Duke used his free hand to readjust his grip. He could hear incoherent yelling from inside the hospital. Taking a breath, he tried to pull himself up, but found his strength gone. He had used the last of it to save the kid above him.

"Can you get up?"

"No," his grip was slipping. So this was how it was going to end. He was going to die of a broken neck after he fell off a five-hundred foot ledge of the Ducaine Prison. "I'm slip-" He lost his grip completely, falling.

…...

Winglude sprinted into Duke's room only to find it empty and Ty Drakeson sitting frozen on the ledge of the window outside.

"Where is he?" Regla demanded once he was close enough. The kid didn't answer. "Cadet!"

Ty glanced at him, an unreadable expression on his face. "He fell after saving me..."

Winglude jerked him into the room and then headed for the stairs.

…...

Duke became painfully aware of how much he hurt. _I'm not dead. _He couldn't believe it, he could barely even comprehend it as his body wracked in agony. It hurt to breathe and he didn't even bother moving anything. He knew he would be lucky to not be paralyzed, but he didn't want to know if he was.

"L'orange!"

Someone was calling his name, but he couldn't answer.

"Duke!"

They were getting closer, whoever it was. They were swearing now, their voice getting more and more frantic.

"Duke! Answer me!" There was a brief pause and then he heard footsteps quickening. "oh-damn..."

Duke's blurry vision focused on Winglude next to him.

"Duke, answer me...say something..."

Duke closed his eyes, "is that kid okay?"

Regla let out a relieved laugh, "he's fine. Can you sit up?"

Grimacing, Duke willed himself to sit up. His back flared in white hot pain but he ignored it. He wasn't paralyzed, it appeared.

"Come on," Winglude pulled him up carefully. "Let's get you checked out."

…...

His left shoulder was busted and his legs were the worst of his injuries. The night nurse sedated him and gave him a powerful shot of Gyladione, a drug similar to the human's morphine. A crab-ass doctor was called in to set his one leg in a cast and prepare his shoulder for surgery that would take place in the morning.

Despite being sedated, he wasn't allowed to sleep since he had yet another concussion. The nurse every so often would shake him awake.

He finally woke up on his own to see Mallory sitting next to him.

"Mal-"

She shushed him. "Don't talk."

As his vision rapidly sharpened, he saw the rest of his team around him. He also became aware of how stiff his left arm was. He looked down and saw his arm in a sling.

"What the hell is this?" His voice was distorted, clogged.

"They operated on you, you snapped your collarbone-what were you doing on the roof Duke?" Mallory finally asked the question they had all been anticipating.

"I just wanted to be free and I wasn't on the roof...I was on the ledge outside my window. If that kid hadn't lost his balance I would be fine right now."

"What are you talking about?" Wing asked, stepping around his brother.

"What are you talking about with a roof?"

"We talked with Dunn Doughal and he said you were injured by a botched escape."

"I wasn't-" he was interrupted by none other than Doughal who was sneering as he entered the room.

"Thought you could escape huh?"

Duke felt a powerful headache suddenly come on. "I wasn't esca-"

"You just bought yourself solitary confinement once you're, _ahem,_ _well enough_."

"Actually, he didn't..." Winglude followed the arrogant duck into the room.

"Go f-"

"Ah, ah, Ah, watch it. There are ladies present."

"I don't give a flying sh-"

"Doughal, get out," Winglude lost his amusement with the situation. "You and I both know, he wasn't going to "escape" from five-hundred feet above the ground and not get critically hurt like he is now."

Doughal glared at him and left, muttering under his breath.

"Asshole," Winglude said, not taking care to keep his voice down. "But he's kind of right. They're sending you back into the prison. Tier 356 to be exact," he added softly.

"Wait what? Tier 356?" Nosedive piped up, for once charisma gone from his ashen face.

"What's Tier 356?" Wing asked, concerned by his brother's outburst. When Winglude didn't answer, Mallory chimed in.

"What is it?"

"What the inmates call the last road," the duck murmured. At their confused faces, he began, "the-"

"Death row," Duke interrupted, no emotion in his voice.

His team looked at him, each showing varying degrees of comprehension. Mallory was the most clued in on what he meant.

"Execution?" She turned back to Winglude. "They're putting him on the execution tier?"

Winglude silently nodded.

"Wait, there's a trial though-" Wildwing began.

Regla shook his head, "no they decided against it. With no Falcone and a video surveillance tape that was recovered, the city council doesn't feel the need for a trial."

"When's the date?" Duke asked, still strangely calm.

Winglude took a breath, "S'cion..."

It took Duke a few seconds to remember there was no such thing as Saturday on Puckworld. He had four days left of life.

"I have to ask Duke," Winglude came closer to his bed. "Is there a chance the Brotherhood will attempt to intervene-" he couldn't acknowledge the event nor the day.

"I don't know, I haven't exactly been in contact with any of them in the last three years or ten years in your case."

"I don't get it," Mallory interjected. "We've been gone these '_ten years_' and the city wants to hang him for the death like it occurred yesterday. Why?"

Winglude shrugged, "I honestly don't know. I personally think its because he's Duke L'orange. I don't think its the city council deciding. I also think it's all those _victims_ you stole from. I always did believe Melyin Mox had Saurian blood in him."

"That little runt?" Duke snapped.

Winglude bent to be nose to nose with him, "actually prize winner of the heavyweight 405lbs and heir to a ridiculous amount of money, yes Duke, that little runt."

Duke didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. Then, "how ridiculous?"

Winglude smiled, "still a thief, ain't ya?"

…...

**Tier 356**

The warden lost no time in setting Duke up in a cell on the last road. _It's called the last road, because its the last one you'll ever see..._ Duke thought as he sat carefully on his hard bunk.

"Psst,"

Duke glanced up, to see a duck in the cell next to him. Unlike the other tiers, the execution tier didn't have solid walls in between the prisoners. Obviously the management didn't care whether the dangerous inmates killed each other before their executions. The less money spent, the way they saw it.

"You the L'orange kid, right?" the duck came closer, staring at him.

Duke didn't answer right away, not knowing whether to trust the duck or not. He didn't need to get shanked or maimed any other way. He was too far away from Regla for the cop to save his ass should he need it.

"I've got a message," the duck continued gruffly. "They've got your back."

"Who?"

He was interrupted by a guard who opened the iron-wrought door and pulled the mysterious duck out of his cell. "Time to go girly."

Duke heard a soft clink sound as the duck was pulled away; he waited until the two were gone before he limped to where he had heard the noise. He bent down and picked up a silver medallion on a long linked chain. In the gloom, he could barely see it, his fingers rubbed an inscription on the back. Turning it over, he saw Ͷɱ, the official symbol of the Brotherhood.

…...

**a Ducaine City motel**

"Mal, what are you doing?" Wing walked in on the female duck to seeing her packing.

"I'm going to camp outside the Council building and I'm going to sit there until they see me." She zipped the case shut.

"We're going to get him out."

"Oh yeah? When Wildwing? When he's dead? Shot to death, hung or tortured to death? We'll get him back when we can bury him beneath this shit-hole of a planet. Why did we even come back?"

"I don't know."

His answer surprised her enough to make her pause.

"I don't know why we came back...I thought it was because I had spent twenty-three years here and only three years on Earth." He came into the room. "But it's not that. You have to get a grip Mallory. We have three days. We'll figure something out."

"I'm pregnant Wing..."

The white duck froze, his eyes on her.

"I'm pregnant with Duke's child. We don't have three days."

…...

**Ducaine Prison**

Regla Winglude had never felt so frustrated by a case before. Then again, all the criminals he towed in were guilty as sin with what they had been charged with. Duke L'orange was many things, but he was not a killer.

For the fifth time, he rewound the tapes found in Redeye's home and watched it all over again. The tapes themselves were a contradiction to what Duke had told him earlier. These tapes showed Duke with the lighter; but something wasn't right. The tape kept skipping right before it showed Duke holding the Raptrin lighter.

Regla got up, there was someone he had to see.

…...

"This is incredible... I'm holding actual crime footage." Folcner was saying. Winglude resisted rolling his eyes.

"yeah, yeah, incredible, I know. Can you play it so I can show you what I'm talking about?"

"Sure." The young duck pushed the cd into his computer and clicked play. The scene played out, and then just as it had done the last six times, the footage skipped and jumped.

"Interesting," Folcner murmured.

"What?"

"Can't say for certain just yet...hold on." He brought up several windows on his screen and navigated through some software files, clicking on preferences. "There...let's watch it now."

The video replayed, this time there was no skip or jump in the footage and history was very different. Falcone was holding the lighter. Redeye had his gun trained on the both of them. A younger Duke glanced at the exposed gas pipe that was visible in the top right hand corner of the screen and then he returned his attention in horror, back to Redeye. There wasn't sound, but Winglude made out the word 'no' as Duke said it.

Then there was an explosion that rocked the camera before engulfing it.

"Someone tampered with the footage," Folcner said, even though Winglude already knew that.

"Thanks kid."

…...

**The City Council**

"I don't have time for this Regla," Chairman Tu'puck stated exasperated as he tried to open his office door. "Duke L'orange is not going to be excused."

Winglude slammed the door shut on the Chairman as he tried to enter his room. "I have proof this time Chairman, please. Five minutes of your time."

The Chairman sighed, "alright."

There was silence after the video ended. Regla had showed both videos, the tampered one and the uncensored one. "The first one was tampered with. I have my beliefs that it was probably Falcone who did it because he knew there would be an investigation."

"And Falcone is where?" Tu'puck asked.

Regla took a breath, "Dimensional limbo...my sources say he was involved with the Saurians and tried to double-cross them. They punished him for it."

The Chairman rubbed his eyes. "When's the execution?" He finally asked.

"S'cion. Two days from now. He needs the full pardon from the entire Council to be free."

"That's what worries me...it's been Melyin Mox whose been calling for the execution...he's made council member since his father's passing, you know."

"Melyin Mox is a spoiled little rich brat who throws tantrums when the word 'no' is spoken. What's the worst he's going to do? Bludgeon everyone to death with a hockey stick?"

Tu'puck laughed and then quickly turned it into a cough. "Melyin."

Regla turned to see the yellow feathered duck in a business suit with his hands behind his back. "Captain Regla Winglude." The duck's voice was shrill for a male and airy at the same time. Often Relga wondered if the duck was gay, but never dreamed of asking.

"Do you mind? Why don't you go run along and play with your tinker toys, the adults are talking Melyin." Unlike others, Regla didn't treat the kid as a ticking bomb and give him everything he wanted. _Duke was right, he is a runt._

Melyin laughed, again with that annoying trill, Regla wanted to choke him. "Funny Relga, but I'm a Council member now. I don't have to listen to anyone."

When you're speaking to me _Melyin,_ you address me as _Captain_ Winglude. Only my friends call me Regla." Winglude hid the cd in his jacket pocket and went to the door.

"My mistake," Melyin soothed, with a sinister smile on his face. "Good day C_aptain Winglude." _

"Chairman Tu'puck, think over my proposal..." Winglude ignored the scrawny little brat beside him.

"I will Regla., thank you."

…...

Outside Regla got into his vehicle and turned the ignition switch on. _Fucking brat, of course_ _he'd interrupt us._

Something wasn't right as he listened for the engine to catch. Then it did, the car rumbling to life, he pushed the throttle into first gear and let off the brake. Just as he was turning the car into traffic, it exploded.


	6. Chapter 6

Mallory slid through the automatic doors before they shut completely. She rushed up to the front desk where a hassled female duck was trying to reason with two foreign speaking Raptrins.

"Excuse me," she interrupted, not caring about the response she'd get. "Regla Winglude, where is he?"

The nurse glanced down at her forms, "Winglude? He's in room 234."

Mallory turned and began to run with the nurse yelling after her.

"He's still in surgery, you can't-!"

…...

With little trouble, she found the operating room, it was in chaos. Two doctors and several nurses were working on a cream colored duck. With a jolt, Mallory took in his limp hand hanging off the table.

"Oh my god," she gripped the door frame.

Then abruptly Regla woke up, coughing violently and raising the hand that had been limp feebly.

"You're going to have to calm down," the doctor was saying, trying to hold the duck down. "You're going to hurt yourself more."

"No-"Regla moaned. "Whe-Where am I?" He coughed again, this time, Mallory saw spray of blood stain his beak.

"You need to calm down..." the doctor ordered again. "Gas him." he snapped his fingers at a nurse.

Mallory stepped into the room, as a nurse turned to her. "Ma'am, you need to leave."

"I-"

Regla's eyes focused on her unsteady. "Mal-"

"I know him, I can keep him calm." She moved towards the injured duck, taking his hand that she could now see was severely burned. He curled his fingers with difficulty around hers, becoming drastically calmer.

"Listen to me," he rasped.

"Shh, no Regla, don't talk.."

"No," he groaned in pain. "Someone tampered with the evidence to Duke...the council saw the tampered-" He gasped for air, "-tampered tape. I showed-I-" He was fading.

"Regla-" She rested her hand against his bloodied face. "Regla, stay with me. Stay with me!" She shook his head as much as she could without hurting him.

The doctor shoved her aside and pushed a mask onto Regla's face. His eyelids fluttered shut.

…...

It was Grin who pointed out Mallory, sitting in a waiting room chair, a haggard look on her face. Wildwing walked towards her slowly. "Mal?"

She glanced up at him without moving her head, before returning her gaze to the floor.

"How is he?"

"He's died twice...they now have him on life support to minimize the risk of him dying."

Tanya sat down next to her friend, "how bad is he?"

"They're saying when the engine exploded, the steering column was shoved into the driver's seat. It smashed all of his right ribcage and obviously fire doesn't mix well with anyone. He's burned over ninety percent of his body. They said it'll be a miracle if he survives."

She fiddled with her cup that no one had noticed before. Tanya surveyed it, concerned.

"Are you drinking?"

Wing snapped to attention, his eyes landing on the cup.

"The way I see it, what the hell..." Mallory drained the last of it.

Wing yanked her cup away and pointed a finger at her. "You drink again and there'll be an issue."

She scoffed.

A doctor came around the corner of a hallway leading to the ER. His tired gaze landing on Mallory.

"He's stable for the moment and in recovery. It'll be a few hours until he's put in a room. I wouldn't wait until then."

…...

**Ducaine Prison**

Duke woke up to a warm body huddling against him. He flinched away before realizing it was Mallory.

"Mal? How'd you get in here?"

Through the gloom, he saw her face wet with tears. "The knowledge comes from having an ex-criminal for a boyfriend."

He cupped her cheek in his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Someone tried to kill Regla because of what he knows about you."

"Tried to kill-what happened to him?"

"A bomb blew up his-"

Duke's head snapped to the stairs leading down to the execution tier. "Shh. Someone's coming." he got up, pulling her with him. "Quick." He guided her to the floor, pushing her under his bunk just as a guard appeared.

"Who you talkin' to inmate?" The guard banged on his bars.

"Myself, thinking out loud, you know," Duke shrugged it off.

The guard tsked, "get over here."

Hesitantly, Duke came closer to the cell bars. The guard grabbed him by the neck, pulling him close to the guard's face.

"I can't wait to see your lifeless body, you sack of shit."

Duke decided to make light of the issue; better to come off as being a complete moron than get mad.

"You're not the only one."

The guard gave a surprised laugh and let go of him. "Yeah, yeah, I guess I'm not." He left.

Duke waited a beat before helping Mallory to her feet. "A bomb blew his car up?"

"Yes. They spent twenty-eight hours on him before he was even considered stable."

Duke turned away from her, rubbing his neck. Without Regla, he was screwed, the cop was his only way out, if he even had a way out. He was quickly getting the picture. Someone wanted him dead personally. The city of Ducaine didn't give a rat's ass about the murder that occurred ten years ago, someone was pushing for him to be executed. _Melyin Mox._

He turned back to Mallory, taking her face in his hands. "Mallory, you need to stop coming here. Stop seeing me."

"Why?"

Duke glanced at the corners of his cell, stopping on a camera that was rotating towards them, its lens magnifying. "Shit." He hid her behind himself, backing up to the door. "Go...he knows you're here."

"Who?"

"Melyin Mox."

"Mox? Freditch Mox's son?"

"Yes, just go...please."

She backed away, her hands still tightly grasping his. "Duke-"

"Go," he lightly pushed her towards his cell door. "I love you Mallory."

She paused and murmured, this time with no hesitation, "I love you too."

…...

Duke had once told Regla Winglude that it would take minimal concentration on his part to escape from the Ducaine Prison. He hadn't been lying. Within seconds, he fed the camera a loop, incapacitated the guard who had verbally abused him earlier, stole his uniform and walked out the front door of the prison.

…...

**City Hospital**

Duke slipped by the night time nurse and quietly shut the door to Regla's hospital room. The duck looked like shit. His feathers were stained with his dried blood and parts of him were missing feathers all together. His face was a mess of warped burnt skin. A breathing pump hissed every time it fell, pushing air into the injured duck's lungs.

Duke sank into a chair, next to him. Mallory had said he was bad, but Duke hadn't understood until then just how bad.

Regla's eyes fluttered open and shifted to him. The look in his eyes, told Duke the duck knew it was him.

"Hey Reg," Duke greeted softly. "You look like shit."

Regla breathed a laugh painfully.

Duke grew somber, "I'm sorry about this."

Winglude managed to form a word around the breathing apparatus hooked into his mouth. "Why?" His voice was raspy. "It's not your fault."

"I'm still a cause for this."

Regla coughed, "for drake's sakes, I'm not dead yet. Duke...I know it was Mox. Who did this to me."

The duck lost the strength to hold his head in Duke's direction, his head fell limply. Duke tried to ignore the duck's gasps for air.

Regla let his breath out through his nostrils, slowly with his eyes closed. Then he opened them, "How are you getting around so well? You only fell off that ledge two days ago."

Duke grinned, "I still hurt, but every day is better than the last. What did the docs say about you? Are you always gonna look this shitty?"

He watched as the duck rolled his eyes, "my feathers will grow back." All of his talking was putting a strain on him, Duke could tell. "Someday. It'll be a bitch until then. Whose lights did you knock out?" He suddenly asked.

"I dunno, some guy named Bruine." Duke took the stolen uniform ID out of his pocket, showing it to the duck.

"Of all people, he's going to have a vendetta against you."

"Great, he can join the club," Duke crossed his arms. "So Melyin Mox did this...why would he bomb your car?"

"Why does he want you dead?" Regla counter-asked.

"I wish I frickin knew," Duke grumbled.

"Did you piss him off? See a shady deal? What?"

"Regla, you're supposed to be recovering...shut up."

The injured duck fell silent. "You should go back to the prison, Duke," he finally said. "You don't want to become a fugi-"

"I'm not going back."

"Oh yes you are," a different voice answered.

Duke didn't have to turn around to know he was caught.

"Don't fight," Regla commanded, his voice almost gone from the strain of talking. To the two guards walking into the room, he stated feebly, "he'll go quietly. Don't use force."

The two guards were his colleagues, remorse in their eyes as they took a moment to survey their burned captain. "What ever you say Cap," the one who had spoken, said. "Come on L'orange."

…...

Duke didn't say anything as he was driven back to the prison. The two officers, Goodall and Freeclaw, each gave him a sympathetic smile as they towed him through the cage doors.

Doughal was waiting for him in the foyer. "Thought you got away, eh L'orange?"

"Well getting away would imply me leaving Ducaine City, changing my name and appearance as appose to me going fifteen blocks down the road."

The head of security lost his temper with Duke's smart ass reply. His baton was out and across Duke's face before he could comprehend it.

"Was that really necessary?" Goodall asked through gritted teeth. "He had a point. He was sitting with Regla in room 386. He didn't even fight us on the way back here."

Doughal got nose to nose with the officer, "are you questioning me _corporeal_?

Goodall shifted his gaze away, submissive in an instant.

Duke had had enough, "is that why you can't stand Regla? Because you can't stare him down?"

Doughal moved to his face, getting within centimeters. "Did you say something L'orange?"

"Yeah, you're an asshole."

The baton was out again, this time hitting him where his collarbone was still healing. Crying out in pain, he fell to his hands and knees.

"Oh, oops...did I hit your booboo?"

Never in all of Duke's life, did he want to choke the life from someone, as much as he wanted to with Doughal.

He heard the baton whizz through the air again and waited for the impact, it never came. He looked up with difficulty to see Goodall holding the baton away from him as it was inches from his head.

"Leave him alone," the brown feathered duck ordered. "L'orange get up."

Duke used his right arm to push himself to his feet.

"Just because Regla isn't here now, doesn't mean he's gone for good. Duke is still his case...so imagine his reaction when he finds out you tried to kill him."

Doughal scoffed, "whatever. Take him back to Tier 356."

"No," Goodall replied. "I'm taking him to Engla in the infirmary. She has a collarbone that needs to be checked out."

Doughal glared at the officer as the duck took Duke by the arm and led him away from all present.

**Infirmary**

"We should just set you up with your own room, Duke," Engla's voice was quiet as she prodded his shoulder and collarbone.

"There's no point to this," he muttered.

"No point to what?" She asked, strapping ice to his shoulder. In the doorway, Goodall shifted, listening.

"Fixing my shoulder, it's not like it's going to benefit me in a day and a half."

Engla slowed her hands and glanced at Goodall, who looked equally uneasy at Duke's remark. "Duke, you're a good person. And Regla already got the wheel in motion...there's no way the execution can continue."

Duke remained silent. "Yeah."

Engla sighed, "I'd like you to stay the night."

Duke laid back on the bed and put his arm out, waiting for Goodall to cuff him to the bed. Goodall came forward, his hand on the handcuffs still strapped to his belt. He paused, staring down at Duke. "You don't need it." He turned away and left.

…...

**A day and a half later**

Puckworld was rarely sunny, but on the day his life was supposed to take a ride down the shitter, not a cloud was in the sky. _How ironic is that-_

He had been allowed to remain in the infirmary for the remainder of his prison sentence, he believed it had something to do with pity.

He hadn't eaten since the day before and refused to. _Why bother?_

His execution was scheduled for 4 nm (Night Median) And it was already 1:34.

Twice he had thrown up from nerves and laid for most of the day, shaking in his bed, jumping every time someone walked into the infirmary. _He didn't want to die, he had too much to live for...a child of his own on the way, a beautiful woman who was willing to be with him the rest of her life._

…...

Around 3:30, two new guards walked in and took him to the bathroom where Duke had to do a full strip down. They wanted to make sure he didn't have a concealed weapons on him. They eyed the long curved scar on his right shoulder, a mark that had been given to him the day his eye was damaged.

Then they gave him new clothes, or newer. They smelled of death, Duke realized with a jolt some other prisoner had died in them. He puked again, making the two guards jump back. Neither knew how to handle the situation.

After he managed to dress himself, under the watchful eye of the two guards, he was taken to Tier 356 and put in a cell facing the execution room.

…...

Mallory couldn't believe that after all Regla had done and been through, they were still killing Duke. Against Wildwing's judgement, she had dressed simply, in black, and was readying herself to watch the execution.

_I'm not letting him die alone, she had said._

_Wing 's face became pained. "We'll go with you."_

They were directed to the execution chamber and into a room shaded by a one-way glass. It was already full, Mallory noticed a duck in a wheelchair near the corner, the wheelchair parked right in front of where the chair in the chamber was.

She drifted towards the duck and saw it was Regla, staring unblinkingly into the chamber.

"Regla, what are you doing here?"

The duck glanced at her, "same reason you are. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

She sank into a chair next to him, and hesitantly reached for him hand. "You did enough."

…...

The last hour passed slowly as the viewers waited. Then a door at the end of the chamber opened, and a duck was brought in with a black hood over his head. The guard sat him in the chair and strapped him down.

A old duck with a wavering voice spoke into a microphone, "Duke Asher L'orange, you are herby sentenced to death for the heinous murder of Retired chief Weaver Redeye and his wife, Marrisa Redeye. Your punishment is the firing squad where four or more bullets will penetrate your body until you are dead. Drake rest your soul."

Malllry took in a shaky breath, Regla squeezed her hand, his grip still weak from his ordeal. She kept her eyes on Duke in the chamber. Four executioners took their places and aimed at the trapped duck.

Someone sat down on Mallory's left, she half turned her head to see Nosedive, no trace of the fun-loving trickster she had come to love and hate. He took her other hand. Shots made her jump, her eyes returned to the window where she saw Duke jump as the bullets hit him.

"_Go," he lightly pushed her towards his cell door. "I love you Mallory."_

_She paused and murmured, this time with no hesitation, "I love you too."_

The duck's head drooped onto his chest; a medical examiner was ushered into the room where he took the duck's pulse. He murmured something into a device.

The old duck returned to his microphone, "Duke L'orange is dead, 4:56nm."

Mallory couldn't cry, she couldn't even grieve. Instead she did what she did best and that was lock her emotions away. Looking to her left, she saw Tanya was a mess, Wildwing was like her, almost catatonic and Grin was shaking his head slowly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nosedive, was the only one who said anything.

"That's it? Just pop and he's gone."

"Yeah," Mallory stood, "There's nothing more to see." She left the viewing room and didn't look back.


	7. Chapter 7

**One Year later**

Mallory sat on a park bench, watching her son, Asher "Duke" L'orange play on the ice with Regla. The puck they were using zipped across the ice, resulting in Asher yelling "I get!"

Regla skated over to her and sat down. In the past year, he had healed from the fiery wreck his car had exploded into. His feathers were almost grown in, the only evidence of his burns was the blackened discoloration of his beak.

"He'll be a pro one day."

Mallory smiled, looking at him. "Like his father was."

Regla mirrored her. "Yeah."

…...

Asher chased after the puck as it spun and whistled across the ice. It came to a rest on a patch of frozen snow. He picked it up and straightened to see a grey feathered duck in a black leather trench coat coming to a halt in front of him.

The stranger knelt to his level. "Hello."

"Hello," Asher returned, his eyes, deep hazel like his mother's, trained on the duck.

"Is your mother here?"

…...

"Mama,"

Mallory caught her son as he threw himself into her arms. "I found the puck."

"Well, that's good...otherwise Regla would have had to get you a new one."

Regla snorted, "I would have just stolen one from Wildwing, the guy has enough to last him a lifetime."

"There's a person too," Asher said, studying the puck.

"A person?" Mallory glanced down at him. "Who?"

Asher looked around unconcerned, and pointed to a duck walking across the ice towards them. The walk was familiar. Mallory felt her hands go slack on her son as she watched the duck come closer.

Next to her, Regla stopped breathing, "I'll be damned."

Asher slid out of her arms and sat in between the two adults. Mallory rose to her feet, staring at the figure who let his hood fall back.

"Hey kid,"

Mallory was close enough to reach out to him, her hand gripped his arm, not believing he was real.

"You were dead."

Duke cupped her face with one hand, "no, I'm not dead." He glanced at Regla who had also risen to his feet. "The Brotherhood got me out before it happened. I'm sorry I didn't come forward sooner."

He had changed in a year, his hair was shorter and Mallory immediately noticed his patch was gone, his left eye no longer milky white. Duke picked up on her attention drawn to his eye.

"It's fixed, almost. I can't see out of it still, but it looks normal." His gaze drifted to Asher sitting on the bench. "He's ours?"

Mallory looked behind her and nodded. "Asher L'orange."

Duke shifted, "fitting name."

He's named after his dad." Mallory hugged him, "His father's name was Asher too."

Duke held onto her, fairly surprised at how she had found out his first name was Asher. Then he saw Regla give him a smile.

"I should go,"

"What? Go?"

Duke paused.

"You're not staying," Mallory stated disappointed.

Duke turned, staring at a figure in black in the distance. Mallory looked in time to see the figure back away and disappear.

He turned back to her, "I'll stay." He ran his hand through her hair and began to walk towards his son with her by his side.


End file.
